1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a diagnostic system for lower urinary tract dysregulation and related conditions. The invention specifically concerns the provision of diagnoses and recommended treatments of lower urinary tract dysregulation and related disorders through the computerized comparison and interpretation of urethral pressure profiles and other lower urinary tract data.
2. Description of the Related Art
Over the past decade, the urethral pressure profile (UPP) has become less popular as a diagnostic tool for urinary incontinence. There are several publications that have noted very poor correlation between the diagnosis of incontinence and peak urethral pressures. Some of these papers are, for example, G. Lose, Urethral Pressure Measurement, 166 Acta. Obstet. Gynecol. Scand. Suppl. 39 (1997); S. Meyer, et al., Urodynamic Parameters in Patients with Slight and Severe Genuine Stress Incontinence: Is the Stress Profile Useful?, 13(1) Neurourol. Urodyn. 21 (1994); E. Versi, Discriminant Analysis of Urethral Pressure Profilometry Data for the Diagnosis of Genuine Stress Incontinence, 97(3) Br. J. Obstet. Gynaecol. 251 (1990); M. C. de Jong, et al., The Static Urethral Pressure Profile in Female Incontinence: A Comparison Between Sphincter and Detrusor Incontinence, 78 Prog. Clin. Biol. Res. 231 (1981). The conclusion of these authors has been that measurements obtained through a UPP add little value to the work-up of an incontinent patient. On the other hand, many published articles reference and document the phenomenon of urethral instability. The role of urethral instability, unlike detrusor instability, however, has remained undefined both in terms of its contribution to symptoms and defining an approach to treatment.